


Mine.

by anonymous7



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alpha!Zack, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, First Time, Fluff and Smut, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega!Cloud, Possessive Behavior, Protective Zack
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-01
Updated: 2016-01-31
Packaged: 2018-05-10 22:43:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5603671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anonymous7/pseuds/anonymous7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cloud's dream of making SOLDIER is shattered when he finds out he's an omega. Thankfully Zack is around to help him in his time of need.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first go at a fic like this, so please let me know if I missed an important tag. I know ABO's can sometimes be problematic, but I did try to write this in a way where there aren't any consent issues (or anything along those lines). If you feel there is something I overlooked, by all means, bring it to my attention and I will add it to the tags.
> 
> I'm planning on this at least being a two-shot, so there will be more coming soon. Smut will predominantly be in the next part. Feedback is greatly appreciated, thank you!

Years of waiting…wasted.

When Cloud arrived in Midgar, he was 14—too young to join SOLDIER, but just old enough to enlist in the regular army ranks. After four long years as an infantryman, his time had _finally_ arrived. And what happened?

_“Your blood work indicates you’ll be presenting as an omega.”_

The one type not permitted to join SOLDIER. He’d spent _years_ convincing himself he would at least be a beta, _sure_ he would develop enough skills to make the program if he just worked hard enough. All for nothing.

“What happened, Spike?” He shook his head, unable to look at the one person who had bothered to help him along the way. “I saw your exam. You nailed it.”

“I didn’t,” he choked out, still too ashamed to look up.

One word from Zack is all it would have taken to get him to make eye contact, but his friend didn’t push it. Instead he pulled Cloud into his arms, surrounding him with warmth and comfort.

 _“Shhh_ , _"_ Zack murmured, rubbing soft circles into his back. He hadn’t realized he was crying, cursing himself further. Not only was he not SOLDIER material, he was also an eighteen year old cry baby. “It’s okay.”

He shook his head into Zack’s chest. “It’s not.”

“Yeah, it is! You can just try again—”

“No, I can’t.”

“Cloud, you’re not thinking straight. Of course you—“

“I’m an omega.”

Zack stilled, arms frozen around Cloud’s body. “You haven’t presented as anything yet.”

A strange fact. When a person was fully developed, their hormone balances made it possible to separate them into one of three different categories; alpha, beta, or omega. These hormones tended to come with certain personality traits—dominant, aggressive alphas; submissive, passive omegas. Betas fell somewhere in the middle.

While it was possible to act differently than _most_ people in the same category, certain things were unavoidable. Each person had a distinct smell that made it possible to identify what they were (granted, it was considered impolite to actively sniff at a stranger). There were also several physiological differences—obvious things such as physical size, and less obvious things such as organ structure.

The biggest difference was the one Cloud didn’t want to think about just yet. Heats and ruts. Temperaments could be adjusted over time, but instincts? _Needs?_ Those weren’t changeable.

Every person eventually presented as one of the three types, no matter how they felt about it. The distinction didn’t occur at a set age though. Development varied from person to person, generally completing around their sixteenth birthday. Apparently Cloud wasn’t done yet even at eighteen, still living his life as an unpresented individual hoping for a last minute growth spurt.

“They ran blood work,” the blond admitted hesitantly. “They said omegas can't join because…”

“Omega hormones interact with the mako injections,” Zack finished, pulling back a bit. Cloud whimpered at the loss of contact, but only for a moment—a hand on his chin tilted his head up, forcing him to meet his friend’s eyes. “There’s nothing wrong with being an omega.”

He snorted, trying not to choke up again. “Says the alpha.”

“Cloud…”

“I should’ve known back when they said I was a late bloomer,” he said, letting out a bitter laugh. “Alphas don’t present late.”

“Betas do sometimes.”

“Look at me,” Cloud said, gesturing up and down his small frame. Zack’s eyes followed the movement, flickering up to meet his eyes again a moment later. “Who was I kidding? I’ve got omega written all over me.”

“If you haven’t presented, that means you could still be growing,” Zack rationalized. “And hey! If that’s the case, your hormone balance could still be changing. You could be anything.”

It didn’t go unnoticed that he didn’t deny that Cloud was pretty tiny—definitely a bit smaller than the average omega. His friend’s persistent optimism made him smile though, despite his own dwindling hopes. “I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

“How’s that?”

“The blood test. They said my levels had almost evened out. That it meant…”

“You’ll be presenting soon,” his friend realized, pulling another nod from Cloud. “If you’re really an omega…”

“That means I’ll go into my first heat.” He reached into his pocket tentatively, pulling out a small bottle. “They gave me these.”

Zack’s expression darkened as he eyed the bottle, a strange noise coming from the back of his throat. “Suppressants.”

“Yeah,” he mumbled, looking down when Zack’s stare was too much. “They said I’m lucky. Most omegas don’t get to know before their first heat so they have to deal with the urges. These are supposed to make it… _manageable.”_

The air was still tense, but when Zack put a hand on each of his shoulders, he couldn’t help looking back up. His friend’s stare was unwavering.

“I don’t want you to take those, Spike.”

“Why not?”

“Suppressants are bad for you. They’re addictive, and they could damage your organs. _Permanently._ ”

“As opposed to what—burning a fever and begging everyone in the barracks to stick it in me? Going to the medical wing and getting locked alone in some room till it’s over?” He scoffed at the idea. “I’ll take the organ damage.”

“Do you trust me?”

Cloud frowned. It was a silly question. “Yeah.”

“There’s another option. A better one—safer.”

“Like what?”

“I can take care of you, if you’ll let me.”

“Take care of me?” he repeated, staring up helplessly.

“You don’t need to take those pills, and you definitely don’t need one of those guys in the barracks—some beta who doesn’t know what’s going on. You need _me_. You know me—you know I’ll take good care of you.”

Cloud’s eyes went wide, stunned by Zack’s soft, insistent words. “Are you saying…you want to fuck me through my heat?”

“I’m saying I’d do anything for you.”

“And that’s all it’d be—you doing me some favor?” Cloud clarified, hurt and confused when Zack didn’t respond at all. He waved his friend off as he began to walk away. “I think I’ll take my chances.”

“Cloud!”

The command in Zack’s voice startled him, but it didn’t stop him.

 

* * *

 

Alphas were known to be somewhat…possessive. They protected those who were close to them fiercely and persistently, even more so if that person was an omega. It was an instinctual desire that no logic could explain, but it stemmed from a separate need.

The need to _be_ needed.

Cloud hadn’t quite realized his friend had been indulging in this desire since they’d known each other. Looking back, he could see it a lot more clearly. The way Zack would beam whenever he asked his friend for help…the way he was always willing to make time for Cloud, even on a whim. It had all felt so innocent—so _friendly._

But after Zack’s offer, he’d come to realize he’d been nothing but naïve. To offer something like that as a favor…Zack really was just acting on his alpha instincts. Putting himself second to protect Cloud during his time of need in a way that maybe he always had.

Obviously Zack had no idea. If he’d known how Cloud really felt about him, he never would’ve made such an offer. The thought alone had his stomach twisting, again.

“Hey, Spike!”

He wasn’t shocked to see Zack leaning against the wall outside the barracks, but he wasn’t prepared for it either. His friend had taken to _looming—_ turning up on his patrols, waiting outside his CO’s office, approaching him in the mess hall…it only made sense that he’d turn up here as well.

Of course, it wasn’t to bother Cloud or press the issue. Zack had made it perfectly clear that he just wanted to talk—to apologize and get back to normal. But an apology wouldn’t make his heart stop aching every time their eyes met. He felt it again now, but was helpless to look away.

“Hey,” Cloud responded finally, letting Zack tug him into an overdue, suffocating hug.

He was vaguely aware of the way his friend was nuzzling into his hair, sniffing him in the most peculiar way—blatantly _checking_ to see if there was a noticeable change. Thankfully his face was buried into Zack’s chest, hiding the blush he knew had spread.

“Still angry with me?” Zack asked, apparently content that yes, Cloud smelled the same.

“I wasn’t angry in the first place,” Cloud insisted. “Not at you.”

“You’ve been avoiding me.”

“I took some leave,” he admitted quietly. Two weeks away to _think._ Two weeks alone in case his heat finally came the way the ShinRa lab techs warned him it would. By the time his leave was over, his heat still hadn’t come and he was no closer to knowing how to handle Zack’s presence. All he knew was that he couldn’t handle _not_ having Zack around, so there was no point in avoiding this conversation any longer. “Maybe I was a little frustrated. You shouldn’t do things like that though.”

“Like what?” Zack pressed, confusion in his voice.

He wanted to give his friend _at least_ a playful whack, but Zack’s hold on him was so firm—comfortable, but unrelenting. “You put everyone else before yourself! I get that you think you’re trying to help, but there’s some things…you can’t just do something like that to help me.”

“Did it happen?”

“No. Not yet.”

Zack’s hold on him relaxed, allowing Cloud to shift back far enough to meet his gaze. “Can we go to my place? I wanna talk to you about a few things, privately.”

“I can’t stay long. I’ve gotta report back from leave before 1600 today.”

“That’s plenty of time,” Zack assured him, wrapping an arm around his smaller friend.

They walked the familiar path in silence, a strange thing for them, especially with so many things unsaid. The weight of it didn’t slow them down though. If anything it propelled them forward, getting them to their destination faster than usual.

They were barely a step into Zack’s apartment when the alpha spoke up again. “So how was leave? Get up to anything fun?”

Cloud just shrugged, following his friend to the couch and taking a seat. Small talk. At least they were starting with the easy stuff. “Not really. I didn’t even leave the city, I just got a hotel so I didn’t have to be in the barracks.”

“You coulda stayed here,” Zack said, looking heartbreakingly offended.

“I know, but…I needed time away.”

“From me?”

“From everything,” Cloud corrected immediately. “I’ve been working so hard for this SOLDIER thing, and now it’s gone. It’s a lot to think about, and that’s on top of the whole omega thing.”

“Come up with any ideas?”

“Not exactly. All I know is that I’m not going to stay in the infantry,” Cloud admitted, hand on the back of his neck. “My enlistment’s up soon anyway, so I’m just gonna get out.”

“Makes sense. You were only doing that to kill time till you made SOLDIER.”

“Yeah.”

“There’s tons of jobs in Midgar,” Zack told him, lighting up the way he always did when Cloud looked down. “And hey! You can work for SOLDIER without being _in_ SOLDIER, ya know? There’s plenty of civilian jobs in the program.”

“…Like what?”

“Uh. I dunno, there’s a whole bunch. You gotta think, ShinRa’s still a business—they’ve got an entire section of each department for SOLDIER. Finance, marketing, PR…you could even do the secretary thing.”

“That’s not really working for SOLDIER.”

“Well, yeah, but your focus could be on SOLDIER still. Plus there’s stuff in engineering that’s right up your alley. Or hey! Have you thought about the weapons department? There’s a whole division that deals with our equipment.”

Cloud raised a brow. “That sounds…interesting, actually,” he admitted. “What would I do?”

“I dunno specifically. I’d assume ordering and maintaining? But it could be a lot more than that. I’ll ask around for you.”

“I’d like that.”

“Cool,” Zack responded with a broad smile. “And hey, you’re welcome to stay with me till you get it all sorted out. It’s not like you’ll be able to stay in the barracks, and you don’t wanna be paying rent while you’re job hunting.”

“Zack…”

“What? Is that too big of a favor?” he joked, winking when he caught Cloud’s eye.

“No, it’s just…I probably shouldn’t stay with you anymore. At all.”

Zack frowned, thoroughly deflated. “Why not?”

“You’re an alpha. Once I present, people are going to assume we’re together if I’m living here.”

“So what?”

“Okay. Even if you don’t care about what they think, what happens when I go into…”

“Heat?” Zack guessed, frowning when Cloud nodded. “Whatever you want to happen. We can talk out all the options.”

“What about when you’re…”

“In my rut?” his friend said, his frown deepening. “Spike, they’re not dirty words.”

“Fine. What about when you’re in your rut?”

“I can handle it. I’d never do anything to you that you didn’t want,” Zack responded easily. “I promise, you can stay here and things won’t be any different than they are now. Not unless you want them to be.”

“Why do you keep saying things like that? I already told you, I’m not going to take advantage of—”

“Cloud, I don’t think you really get what I’m saying here.”

“I don’t think you get what _I’m_ saying,” he argued, shaking his head adamantly. “It’s not only about what makes this easier for me. You have to think about what you want, too!”

“I want to be with you in any way you’ll have me, Spike. Whether that means as a friend, a favor, a boyfriend—that’s up to you.”

He felt the color draining from his face, the words a hollow version of what he had only dreamed of hearing over the years. “…Because I’m an omega?”

Zack’s gaze softened. “Because I love you. I have for a while now.”

“What if they’re wrong?” Cloud asked, arms folded across his chest. “What if I turn out to be an alpha?”

“I’d still love you.”

“How can you be so sure?” he pressed, shaking his head in disbelief.

“ _Spike._ I just know.”

“But you didn’t say anything. Not until after you knew what I was.”

“It’s not like that,” Zack insisted, reaching over and pulling Cloud right into his lap with impressive ease.

He didn’t bother trying to get away. Alphas were naturally strong, and Zack was a SOLDIER on top of that. There was no point in trying to squirm out of his hold, so Cloud found himself relaxing instead, kicking his feet up on the couch and leaning sideways into Zack. He rested his head on his friend’s shoulder instinctively, the steady rise and fall of his chest doing wonders at keeping Cloud calm as his mind ran through all the ways this was too good to be true.

When he was completely still, Zack spoke again, “You know how it works. You’re underage till you present, so there was no point in me saying anything.”

“I’m eighteen! Most people present at _sixteen.”_

“Doesn’t change a thing.”

“So…you want to be with me, and I want to be with you, but we can’t do a thing about it until _after_ I go into heat?”

Zack’s breath stopped for a moment, his arms going slack around Cloud’s waist. “You wanna be with me?”

“I can’t believe you didn’t figure it out. I’ve wanted you since…”

He shook his head as he thought back, remembering all too well the first time he ever saw Zack. They hadn’t spoken, but the day had emblazed itself in his mind. Zack was only a couple years older than him, but had already presented as an alpha. His status had gotten him into SOLDIER early, utilizing the alpha loop hole in their age policy.

It had just been a crush back then, completely harmless. But that harmless crush never really went away.

Two years passed before they actually met, a mission to Modeoheim bringing them together. Cloud recognized Zack immediately—the handsome SOLDIER he’d admired from afar. He hadn’t expected the kindness Zack showed him, nor had he been prepared for the friendship that spawned between them.

And that was when things started changing…when he really got to know Zack, and his harmless crush became something more and more overwhelming.

“I had no idea,” Zack muttered, giving Cloud a little squeeze. “You could’ve told me.”

“I thought it didn’t matter,” Cloud admitted quietly. “We were so sure I’d be a beta…I guess I always figured you’d want an omega.”

“None of that matters to me. I just want _you.”_

“But not until I present as an omega?”

“I want to be with you now,” Zack replied, insistent. “But nothing can happen until after you present.”

“Why not? If I’m okay with it—”

“ _Cloud,”_ he interjected, a hand gently tilting Cloud’s face up so their eyes could meet. Fun, carefree Zack was nowhere to be seen—there wasn’t a trace of humor on his face. “You’re not sexually mature until you present. Doing anything before then could mess up you’re the rest of your development—that’s how people get pushed to present early. It’s not safe. You could end up with a permanent hormone imbalance.”

Not to mention his physiological growth would be stunted. Cloud grimaced at the thought.

“I’m not saying we should hop into bed now. There are other ways to be together…other things we could do.”

“Technically, yeah. The law doesn’t make the distinction though. I don’t need to be sleeping with you to get in serious trouble.”

Cloud sighed. “It’s going to happen any day now. Maybe we can do small things in private.”

“Like what?”

“Hug?” he suggested, leaning a bit closer.

Zack’s smile returned slowly. “Pretty sure we’ve been doing that for years.”

“It’s not so different from cuddling up and watching a movie, is it?”

“Uh…no. We may as well’ve been doing that too,” Zack noted, his hold on Cloud effortlessly proving that point.

Cloud leaned in a bit closer, raising a tentative hand to Zack’s cheek. “Kissing wouldn’t be that big of a stretch.”

“That might be where the line has to be drawn.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s where things can start escalating a lot faster.”

“From a kiss?” Cloud asked, raising both brows. “I’m not saying I wanna straddle you and—”

“You don’t even realize the effect you have on me, do you?”

The words sent a jolt of pleasure through him…until he remembered that was all they were. Words. Zack was standing his ground whether he wanted to or not, clearly determined to the right thing.

“It’s not fair,” Cloud grumbled.

“What’s not?”

“I don’t want our relationship to start when I’m in heat,” he said, face red and eyes narrow. “I want to _remember_ everything.”

“You will,” Zack promised, cupping his face gingerly. “Even if it happens when you’re in heat, it’s not like you’re out of control. You’re _aware_ of everything—you’ll remember it all. And, uh…you’ll definitely enjoy it.”

“But—”

“If that’s what you’re worried about, don’t. We don’t have to do anything when you’re in heat, not if you don’t want. If you decide you’d rather take the suppressants…I’d rather you didn’t, but it’s entirely up to you. I just don’t want you to be in pain.”

“I could just take them this time, and then we can mess around before my next heat. Using them once won’t do any permanent damage, right?”

Zack’s eyes darkened. “I hope not, or whoever gave you those will have to answer to _me_.”

“Why’re you so against them?”

“Besides the fact it could screw up your insides?” Zack countered, arching a brow as Cloud nodded. “They didn’t give you suppressants to make things easier on you—they gave them to you because they’re diluted. They think what omegas feel during their heats is _perverse_ , and it’s not. There’s nothing wrong with what your body’s telling you it needs.”

“And I suppose there’s nothing wrong with alphas wanting to accommodate that need?”

“No. It’s natural. As long as everyone’s consented beforehand, there’s no issue,” Zack told him firmly. “You’ll understand more once you’ve gone through it. Everything you’ve been taught, it’s not _right._ It’s just how some people choose to look at it.”

“But not you?”

“Not me,” he confirmed. Cloud shifted uneasily though. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe Zack—it was more, his words contradicted so much of what he’d been brought up to believe. Small town views weren't always so reliable though. He'd learned that much since he'd arrived in Midgar. “Hey. It’s okay if you don’t know how you feel about all this. I don’t expect you to take my word for it or agree just because it’s me.”

“You wouldn’t lie to me.”

Zack smiled warmly. “I wouldn’t. But I get it. This is something you need to experience for yourself before you really have an opinion of your own. It’s okay.”

“If I take the suppressants, I won’t understand?”

“No. They’ll just make you feel like shit for a few days.”

“But they’re supposed to make it better.”

“Better?” Zack scoffed, shaking his head. “No. You basically trade in the urge to mate for the urge to hurl. It’s your body’s way of trying to purge the chemicals from your system.”

“Don’t heats only last for a day though?”

“Yeah. If you give your body what it needs.”

“And that’s…alpha seed?”

“Yeah. A lot of it. Usually you’d need…”

Cloud studied Zack carefully, surprised by his sudden hesitation. “I thought you said none of this was dirty.”

“It’s not!” Zack insisted, letting out a low growl when Cloud laughed. “I’m just having a hard time talking about all this while you’re in my lap.”

“We sit like this all the time.”

“Not while I’m explaining that you’ll probably want to be knotted.”

Cloud frowned in confusion. It made _him_ blush, a rush of warmth filling his body—but Zack wasn’t the type to get bashful about these things. When the alpha shifted deliberately though, it suddenly made a lot more sense.

He could _feel_ the explanation. Zack’s cock, semi-erect and hardening against his ass…His heart jumped at the realization—at the thought that Zack was turned on by the idea of knotting him…of _filling_ him so completely—and his own body began to react of its own accord. No denying he liked the thought of it, too.

“Oh,” he muttered, nothing better to say—he shifted where he sat as well, hoping to conceal his growing arousal.

All that got him was another twitch—that and an apologetic smile from Zack. Judging by the amused gleam in his eyes, he knew damn well the effect his little movement had on his younger friend. “Yeah. Maybe you should sit across the room or something if you wanna talk about this more.”

“What I _want_ is to know why you know all this,” Cloud responded curiously. “Have you been with an omega in heat before?”

“Well, yeah.”

“How many?”

“More than a few,” Zack answered with a shrug. “Is that a problem?”

Cloud frowned deeply, but shook his head. “You never mentioned anyone.”

“It was never serious.”

“We’re friends though.”

“More than that, aren’t we?”

“You said—”

“Nothing can happen yet. That doesn’t mean we have to talk like there’s nothing here till then.”

“Okay. Then why didn’t you tell me about your other omegas?”

Zack laughed softly. “Are you jealous?”

It was Cloud’s turn to growl. “No, but you could’ve told me.”

“And said what? Hey, I’ve wanted you since the moment I saw you, but since I can’t have you I thought it’d be a good idea to distract myself from time to time?”

His hard stare relented, but his curiosity didn’t. “With who?”

“Friends. We just…you know. Helped each other out,” Zack explained lightly. “It was fun. That’s all.”

“You knotted them?”

“Uh. You really wanna hear all the details?”

“No,” Cloud responded instantly, the thought of it illogically infuriating. “Or…maybe? _”_

He hopped out of Zack’s lap, waving off his friend’s hands as they tried to pull him back. Zack didn’t push it—he just watched as Cloud began pacing, shaking his head periodically as he tried to understand why it bothered him so much.

Of course Zack had been with other people. In the same way Cloud was a late bloomer, Zack had been an early bloomer. Despite only being a couple years apart in age, they were in different universes when it came to things like this. Zack had been a fully developed alpha for _years_. An incredibly attractive alpha who wasn’t a complete asshole like so many others. Obviously he wasn’t the only person who could see that so clearly.

“Cloud.”

He stopped in his tracks, turning his undivided attention to his friend.

“I only want you,” Zack said plainly. “I’m not going to be with anyone else again—it’s only you.”

“I believe you,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t…I don’t know why it bothers me so much.”

The alpha arched an eyebrow. “You’re probably getting close.”

“We’ve always been close.”

“Close to your heat, Spike,” Zack clarified, shooting him a meaningful stare. “Alphas get a bad rep as possessive and all that, but the fact is, omegas don’t like anyone messing with their alphas either. Bonded or not, the instinct’s there.”

“And you’re _my_ alpha?”

Zack put on his best smile. “Aren’t I?”

“How can I have an alpha when I’m not anything right now? I’m not supposed to _have_ instincts yet.”

“That’s why I’m assuming you’re close. Your hormones are prob’ly whacky.”

Cloud gulped, but nodded in acknowledgement. Denial wouldn’t get him anywhere. _Any day now,_ the lab techs had told him. It had been a few _weeks._

“Hey. Don’t look embarrassed. It’s kinda adorable seeing you get all jealous over this,” the alpha assured him, hopping up and approaching his friend. His words earned him a glare, which he promptly laughed off. “C’mon, Spike. It’s fine.”

“It’s not.”

“You’re that upset about those other omegas?”

“No, it’s not that,” he insisted quietly, heart rate accelerating.

His shallow breathing had turned into a fast pant, a crippling panic rising inside and threatening to consume him. It just wasn’t fair. He was completely helpless. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be, and there was literally nothing he could do to stop it.

Zack’s arms were around him in a flash, familiar hands rubbing soothing circles into his back. “Hey. It’s okay, Spike. You’re okay.”

“I’m okay,” he affirmed, forcing himself to nod as if to prove it.

“You can talk to me. Tell me what’s wrong.”

“I’m scared,” he admitted, barely a whisper.

“Don’t be. I’m gonna take good care of you, remember?”

“I don’t want to be like this. I don’t want to be an omega.”

“Spike, what you are doesn’t define you. No matter how it turns out, you’re still _you—_ still the same stubborn, smart, funny dude you’ve always been. You don’t need to worry so much.”

“Will you…come with me? I need to go report in.”

“Yeah, of course. I’ve gotta talk to your CO anyway—I’m not letting you outta my sight right now.”

“You don’t have any missions coming up?”

“I do, but it’s cool. I’m gonna call the scheduler tonight, see what he can do for me.”

Cloud stared up with wide eyes. The thought of going through all this alone was almost unbearable, the panic slowly building inside him once more. “What if he can’t reschedule you?”

“I’m not leaving your side,” Zack said, a finality in his tone. “Not even Sephiroth could drag me away from you right now.”

He sighed in relief, sinking into Zack’s side as the alpha guided him toward the door. Somehow Zack would get him through this, he was sure.

 

* * *

 

 _Talk to your CO_ apparently meant hover over the poor man until he agreed to let Cloud have another short leave (or ‘special duty under SOLDIER’s supervision’, as Zack had put it). His CO was a nice guy—a beta. Relatively strict, but always fair. He’d actually felt bad having Zack go all alpha on him, but…

That was easy to forget while he was laying on Zack’s couch, head in his friend’s lap while Zack’s fingers were threaded in his hair. Two more days had passed, and all their hours had been spent either goofing around like usual, or relaxing together like this.

It was terribly nice, but even sticking to their usual hangout routine didn’t mask the underlying tension between them—it didn’t make either forget about the pressing issue on both their minds. Any day now their relationship would be changing indefinitely.

“Have you decided how you wanna handle your heat?”

Cloud shot Zack a disgruntled glance. “No.”

“I don’t wanna pressure you, but you may wanna let me know soon,” Zack told him carefully. “I’m not gonna touch you without explicit permission ahead of time.”

“You said I won’t be out of control.”

“You won’t be. That doesn’t mean you’ll be thinking clearly though. I don’t want you to end up regretting anything. You’re gonna have a one track mind.”

“Great,” he sighed, covering his face as he tried to think it over.

Zack’s hands stopped their work in his hair, gently circling the blond’s wrists and pulling them back. He closed his eyes instead, giving himself the semblance of a moment alone.

“Look at me.” Cloud did just that, unable to resist Zack’s low, husky command. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. And there’s no pressure either. I’m cool with whatever you decide.”

“I just need a minute,” he muttered, eyes imploring Zack to drop it for now. When the intensity of the alpha’s stare let up, and he knew he’d won. “Thanks.”

“You don’t need to thank me. Just remember, we don’t know when it’s gonna happen, so the sooner we have a plan, the better.”

“Maybe it won’t happen. Maybe I really am a beta and that’s why I don’t smell or whatever.”

“It’s gonna happen, Spike. You’re showing signs already.”

“Huh?”

“You’ve been kinda clingy for a while now. Needy,” he explained lightly, the soft smile on his face all the reassurance that Cloud needed to know it didn’t bother his alpha. But then Zack’s fingers ran over his forehead, stopping there a moment before working their way back into his hair. “You’re running a slight fever too.”

That news had him jerking himself into an upright position, eyes wide. “For how long?”

“I’ve been playing with your hair for like an hour,” the alpha responded with a shrug. “I noticed maybe twenty minutes ago.”

“Is that why you’ve been doing this? You were  _checking_?”

“No, I just like touching you,” Zack said, his voice so smooth and earnest.

“How long before…?”

“I dunno exactly, it’s not like you’re on a kitchen timer. It’s different for everyone. Some people it hits really hard and really fast, others it’s more gradual. But I’d say something’ll definitely be happening soon.”

Cloud gulped, but the smile on Zack’s face made it a little easier to stay calm. “Okay.”

“How do you feel?”

“Kinda hot, actually,” he admitted, heart sinking in realization. They’d talked about this—the symptoms he’d start to feel as his heat began. This was definitely only the beginning. “Shit…”

“Don’t stress. It’s really not a big deal.”

“It’s a big deal to me!” Cloud shot back, hopping to his feet.

He just needed a minute to think. A minute to sort his thoughts. A minute to pace and…

“Spike,” the alpha said, chuckling softly. He got a scowl for that, which only amused him further. “Seriously. The more you stress, the faster it’s gonna come on. If you want more time, you need to relax.”

“How am I supposed to relax right now?”

“You’re sweating,” Zack noted, arching an eyebrow.

“It’s hot.”

“Come here.” The blond obeyed, allowing himself to be pulled gently into the alpha’s lap once more. It felt nice. Nicer than it had before he stood up. He nestled in close, frowning when Zack palmed his forehead again. “Cloud, you need to decide what you wanna do. Do you have the suppressants with you?”

“Pocket.”

“Do you wanna take them this time?”

“It’s not time yet,” Cloud insisted, shaking his head pathetically. “It’s just…hot in here.”

“I’m gonna take care of you, Cloud. I just need to know how you want me to do that. I can get you some water—a cool rag. You can take the suppressants, and I’ll make sure you’re okay. I’ll do anything you need.”

“I need…”

He couldn’t pinpoint it at first. Between the apartment being too damn hot and the dull pain inside him, it was too much—too many sensations bombarding him all at once. Too sudden for his mind to sort it all out. His heart was racing, breathing ragged…Zack’s arms around him were the only thing keeping him steady, anchoring him to reality just long enough to notice exactly how badly his cock was aching on top of everything else.

Cloud squeezed his eyes shut, taking in a startled breath as the answer hit him. “I need _you_.”

“I know. I’m not going anywhere.”

“No, I _need_ you,” Cloud repeated, grasping a handful of the alpha’s sweater.

“I know, and I wanna help you, babe, I just need you to relax. It’s no rush, yeah?”

“It’s hot…” _Why was it so hot?_ His clothes were starting to stick to his body, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. He stared at Zack, eyes imploring the alpha to do _something_. “Help me.”

“I will. I’m gonna go get that water, okay? Maybe turn on the air conditioning—that’ll be nice, yeah?”

“No,” Cloud whimpered, slinging his arms around Zack’s neck. “I need…”

“ _Shhh_ , I know. It’s okay. I’m gonna take good care of you—get you everything you need, okay?”

Cloud just nodded into the alphas shoulder, inhaling a deep breath. Gaia Zack smelled nice…

“ _Fuck.”_ Zack lifted the omega as he cursed, taking in a deep breath of his own. “C’mon. Let’s go to the kitchen for a minute.”

The alpha carried him effortlessly, but he clung on anyway, needing the contact—the feel of Zack’s muscled body pressed against his own. It was dizzying. Burying his face into Zack’s neck helped keep things from spinning, but it didn’t help with the heat scorching his body.

“Here, Cloud,” Zack murmured, shuffling the blond in his arms until he could press a glass to his mouth. “That’s good, take another sip. You’re doing great.”

Cloud grumbled after another, not wanting any more. Water wasn’t what he needed. He needed…

“It’s okay, babe. The air’s on now—it’ll cool down soon.”

“Hurts,” he said, shaking his head into the curve of Zack’s neck. “I need you.”

“I know. But we didn’t talk about it, remember?”

“We don’t need to. I want you.”

“Shit, Spike.” Zack let out a disgruntled groan. “I’m gonna reach in your pocket, okay?”

“No. I don’t wanna take those. I want _you.”_

“I’m gonna take care of you, Cloud.” The alpha inhaled another long breath, setting down the glass. “Do you trust me?” He paused, the blond nodding profusely. “I need you to say it.”

“I trust you.”

“Good. You’re gonna feel better soon, okay? I’m just gonna reach in your pocket…” Another pause, Zack’s big hand moving awkwardly into Cloud’s small pocket. The blond jerked in his arms, arching at the touch. “Shh, it’s okay, Cloud.”

He hadn’t even realized he was whimpering again.

“I’m gonna give you two of these. I need you to take a sip of water and swallow them, okay?”

“…thought _you_ were gonna take care of me.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do, Cloud.”

“But…you said…I _need_ you, Zack.”

“I know. Trust me, babe, I wanna help you the way you want me to, but that’s not an option right now.”

“Why not?”

“Because we didn’t finish our conversation, remember? But the last time we tried talking about this, you told me you didn’t want our relationship to start this way,” Zack said, nodding at his own words—reminding _himself_ just as much as Cloud. “Are you gonna take these for me?”

Cloud whined, his mouth hanging open slightly. “Don’t you want me?”

Zack’s eyes flashed with lust, nostrils flaring as he took in Cloud’s scent again. “You have no idea.”

“Zack, _please_ ,” Cloud pleaded, clutching him with all the strength he could muster. “It hurts _.”_

“Open your mouth,” Zack commanded, brows furrowed with determination. Cloud obeyed, but barely, his lips parted in a way that made the alpha growl with desire. “Gonna give you these.”

When there was no protest, the alpha popped two pills into his mouth, running a finger along those pouty lips a moment after. He reached down, lifting the glass back to Cloud’s lips and muttering hushed encouragements— _that’s right, baby, swallow them. Good boy._ The blond groaned in his arms, still feeling hot and needy.

“Didn’t work.”

“It takes a little time,” Zack muttered, brushing sweaty locks from the blond’s forehead. “Wanna go to my room?”

“Yeah.”

The alpha carried him there without delay, gently trying to pry Cloud off him when they were at the bed. “It’s okay. Gonna set you down now.” Cloud shook his head feverishly, not willing to loosen his hold on the alpha. “I’m staying with you, babe, I just wanna get you comfortable, yeah?”

He grumbled incoherently, but let himself be set down the next time Zack tried. A moment later he was allowing the alpha to tug at the hem of his damp shirt, relieved when it was pulled right over his head.

“Still hot?” Zack asked, eyes raking over the omega’s bare skin. Cloud nodded his head repeatedly, a silent plea for the alpha to do more. “Okay. Let’s get these off too.”

Talented hands were on his belt buckle, undoing it with ease before moving to unbutton his jeans. Zack hooked one of his arms around the small of Cloud’s back, lifting him up enough for his other hand to tug at the jeans. Then he set the omega back down, stripping the jeans off the rest of the way.

“Still hot,” Cloud said, wiping away beads of sweat from his own forehead. He moved to try to shed his own boxers after that, another whimper escaping him when Zack caught him by the wrist.

“I know it’s hot, but we’ve gotta leave those on for now.”

“Why?”

“Just trust me on this, okay?” Zack urged, settling down by his side.

Cloud frowned, but nodded, shifting uncomfortably until he was pulled back into Zack’s lap. His alpha was usually so warm, but the feel of Zack’s large, calloused hands actually felt cool against his hot skin this time, eliciting a shudder as they trailed up and down his sides.

“I need more,” Cloud begged, his hands headed toward his boxers again. This time it wasn’t to remove them. He just needed some friction, his cock swollen and neglected. Zack’s scent was only making it worse, and his _hands…_ Gaia Cloud wanted those hands to be the ones surrounding his erection instead of his own.

Judging by the pained noise Zack made, so did he. “It shouldn’t be much longer before the suppressants kick in. I promise.”

“ _Zack.”_ It wasn’t enough. His cock wasn’t the only thing demanding attention, the hollow ache he felt inside himself growing more and more pressing. “Please?”

“Please what?”

He clambered around in the alpha’s lap until he was straddling the man, cursing the way Zack’s clothes felt so rough against his over-sensitized skin…until he felt something that left him thoroughly distracted.

It was unmistakable—the feel of the alpha’s cock thick and ready beneath him, separated only by a few layers. His hips gyrated on instinct, pulling a low moan from the alpha—the amount of pure _need_ so obvious in Zack’s eyes. But he just stared back at Cloud, mouth open hungrily. The lust filled growl he let out spurred Cloud on, grinding his ass down against the alpha’s clothed cock.

“We can’t,” Zack insisted, though his hands on Cloud’s hips were saying the opposite—encouraging another roll of those slim hips, being met by a gentle upward thrust. “Cloud…”

The omega cupped his alpha’s face, leaning in close—Zack just smelled too damn good, his arousal making it nearly unbearable. But something was preventing him from sealing the distant. An unspoken boundary he could see in the alpha’s eyes, mixed in with the flares of desire.

“Please,” Cloud whispered, helpless to take what he wanted. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not,” Zack said, his insistence wavering. The omega turned his head on impulse, baring his neck to Zack meaningfully. It earned him another curse, the alpha leaning in close enough to take a long breath. Then he cursed _again_ , “Fuck…”

The way his cock twitched beneath Cloud told the blond how much he liked it. “I need you.”

“Damnit, Cloud,” Zack snarled, hands cupping the blond’s cheeks and pulling him in for a deep kiss.

All he could do was gasp, letting Zack claim his mouth readily and eagerly. The alpha’s hands were dropping, trailing down his back before settling on his ass—pulling the omega’s body hard against his own. Cloud moaned into the kiss, his cock rubbing so deliciously against Zack’s toned abs.

“Please,” Cloud murmured into the kiss.

Zack nipped at his lower lip, holding Cloud firmly in place when he tried to grind against him again. “Please what?”

“I need…”

“You need me?” The blond nodded. “Yeah, I thought so. Inside you?” he pressed, thrusting up against the omega’s ass when he got a more eager nod. “You want my knot?”

“I…” _Yes._ His mind was screaming at him, eyes wide and face flushed with a mix of pure need and embarrassment. He just nodded desperately, unable to say it.

“You’re gonna get it,” Zack promised, pulling Cloud in for another long, possessive kiss. He didn’t pull back until Cloud was moaning into his mouth, thoroughly disheveled. “You’re definitely gonna get it. Just not today.”

“But…”

“I know, babe. You feel empty.”

Cloud frowned, but nodded—slowly this time.

Zack brushed damp blond spikes from his forehead, palm lingering a moment. “Does it hurt?”

“It…did,” the blond admitted quietly. “I was aching.”

“Aching for me?” Zack asked, a gentle smile on his face when Cloud conceded another nod. “But not anymore?”

“I am, just not…”

“Not painfully?”

“No. Not painfully,” he confirmed, relieved by that realization.

“It’s okay, babe. That’s good, I don’t want you to be in pain. I’m gonna take care of you, remember?”

“Yeah,” Cloud remembered, staring at Zack intently. Of course Zack would take care of him.

“Your suppressants are kicking in. Your fever’s almost gone and you’re not sweating anymore.”

“But I still want…”

“Yeah. But it’s not so bad anymore, is it?”

“No,” he responded, shifting in Zack’s lap. Their position—their obvious erections still pushing against each other’s bodies—suddenly it felt a bit surreal. Amazing but…maybe a little awkward now that it didn't feel like hot air was pulsing all around him. “I’m sorry.”

Zack raised both brows. “Sorry? This is _my_ fault, Cloud. I was being selfish, holding out for you to tell me what I wanted to hear. I shoulda had you take the pills the minute I noticed your fever. You never woulda gotten to this point.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t just tell you it was okay beforehand.”

“I’m not. I just want you to be comfortable, babe. I mean, yeah, I want you,” Zack clarified, clearly noticing the hurt rising in Cloud’s eyes. “I want you so bad. But it’s no rush, yeah?” Cloud’s stomach twisted before he could answer, causing him to buckle forward into Zack. “You okay?”

“I feel sick.”

“Shit.” The alpha had him cradled in his arms a second later, carrying him directly into the bathroom. “It’s okay, Spike. Remember what we talked about?”

He groaned as his stomach turned again. “I’m gonna feel like this for a few days?”

“Yeah. And I’m gonna be here with you the whole time,” Zack promised, holding Cloud carefully as he moved to sit in front of the toilet. He shifted the blond around until he was within arm’s reach of the toilet, rubbing his back reassuringly. "It’s okay. Do what you gotta do.”

“What if I throw them up?”

“Too late for that—they’re quick dissolves. They’re already in your system.”

The good thing about his sudden wave of nausea was that it drowned out his arousal, removing the embarrassment from his predicament. That is, until he was curled over the toilet bowl trying to purge the chemicals from his body. It definitely didn't get much more humiliating than that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So wow, apologies for the wait! I almost had this ready a couple times, but I got stuck trying to choose between two different directions. I'm feeling good about the one I chose, so I hope you like it too! I decided to make this a three part fic instead of rushing or jamming everything into two, so a few things did get pushed back to the next chapter unfortunately.
> 
> I do feel like I should mention this chapter is kind of problematic? For very different reasons than the first (nothing that's not in the tags already). Everyone was so on board about the consent issue that I forgot to say that doesn't mean there are no other ABO-related issues. Like most fics though, the goal is for the characters to learn and grow, so I hope you'll bear with me!
> 
> I'm still really floored by all the positive feedback, so thanks again everyone! If you have more questions or comments or concerns or anything, feel free to let me know.

Six days had passed since his heat.

Three were spent either by the toilet, or with a bag nearby just in case. A bit gross, but definitely necessary. Zack hadn’t been wrong about his body rejecting the suppressants, that was for sure—they’d made his  _never again_ list by the first night.

The next three days were spent ‘recovering’, as Zack had deemed it. He wasn’t exactly sure what the alpha meant by that—once the vomiting had finally stopped, he felt completely fine. Aside from a few new urges and a few new smells, things were basically the same as they had been before he presented. But Zack had been so diligent, going above and beyond to help out while he was sick…

From rubbing his back, to keeping him hydrated, to cleaning his messes—Zack did more than he could have asked for, and all with an unwavering smile. Not to mention putting up with that short lived heat, reassuring Cloud it was no big deal every time he even  _thought_ about being embarrassed.

After all that, who was he to argue about a few days of ‘recovery’? And if that recovery period meant time to be together—unrestricted time together in a way they’d both apparently wanted for so long? Well, he wasn’t going to complain.

That is, until the seventh day.  _Just one more day_ had definitely become one day too many by then, even if the idea of getting back to the real world wasn’t even remotely appealing next to the thought of staying home with Zack.

And that was why Cloud found himself tugging his infantry scarf away from Zack, a disgruntled look on his face. “You’ve had it long enough!”

“I just wanna make sure—”

“Zack!” he exclaimed, cutting the alpha off. Zack broke into his signature smirk, openly amused by how flustered he'd made the blond. “It’s fine.”

“You don’t know how good you smell,” Zack said, leaning down enough to sniff at Cloud’s neck. He tilted his head instinctively to allow it, shuddering when the alpha’s lips pressed against his sensitive skin. “I just want to cover it up as much as I can.”

“By stealing my scarf to make it smell like you?”

He didn’t bother calling the alpha out on washing an  _already clean_ infantry uniform so it would smell like his detergent, or mentioning Zack’s insistence that the blond use his soap and shampoo that morning. Bizarre, perhaps, but he’d found those occurrences somewhat endearing. They were the types of issues most alpha and omega couples had to sort through early on in their relationship, and while he hadn’t expected it with Zack, it wasn’t such a shock to find they weren’t immune.

It was all about figuring out where to draw the line—where endearing became excessive. A lot of omegas let their alphas control virtually every aspect of their relationship, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing (and certainly not his place to judge). It just wasn’t what Cloud wanted in his own relationship.

Frankly, he didn’t really care about the scarf either, but he held it tight as he awaited an answer.

“Is it really such a bad thing?” Zack countered, grinning when Cloud brought the scarf to his nose. It  _did_ smell nice—a distinct hint of his alpha. That wasn’t the point though. “You don’t even hafta go, ya know. I already talked to your CO.”

Cloud let out an exasperated sighed. “I can’t just stay here forever. I have a job.”

“You’re not re-enlisting, remember? You can stay here and use my computer to start your job hunt.”

“But my enlistment isn’t up for three more weeks. I’m under contract!”

“Yeah, but they can’t punish you if you won’t be around,” Zack reminded him.

Cloud quirked a brow. “Yes, they can.”

“Okay, they  _can._ But they won’t! It’d be a waste of gil when you’re about to leave, not to mention I already covered for you. It’s not like you’re AWOL.”

“But you’re leaving today,” Cloud reminded the alpha, hands on his hips. “You can’t skip out on your mission, so why should I skip out on my patrol?”

“Because I don’t smell like a fresh, unbonded omega.”

Cloud blinked in surprise. Part of him hadn’t been expecting an answer, let alone such a blunt one. “…What?”

Zack raked a hand through his hair, shaking his head dismally. “You don’t just smell  _good._ You smell…”

“Fresh and unbonded?” he scoffed.

“I don’t know how else to say it."

“Are you being serious, or is this just more crazy alpha stuff?”

“Both,” Zack admitted, grumbling a few incoherent words. Something about just wanting Cloud to trust him and stay put for the day. Things he seemed to know would only serve to offend this particular omega if he tried to vocalize them, but things he couldn’t quite hold back.

Cloud might’ve been offended anyway, having pieced together most of it himself…but it was obvious how much Zack was struggling with it—fighting the alpha inside himself. It just highlighted what he'd begun to suspect over the last few days. Presenting as an omega had impacted Zack a lot more than it impacted Cloud. Sure, there were a few things he was adjusting to, but they seemed so minimal compared to this—watching Zack react so strangely to a perfectly normal situation, like Cloud needing to go to work.

He found himself reaching out without another thought, resting a calm hand on Zack’s forearm. It silenced the alpha immediately, his stare focusing in on Cloud once more.

“It’s okay,” Cloud assured him. “Just slow down and tell me what’s going on.”

“You’re always gonna smell good to alphas, even when we’re bonded…That’s just how it is now that you’re an omega. But right now you smell particularly nice.”

He gawked at his boyfriend, trying to ignore the way his heart soared at the certainty in which Zack had said  _when we’re bonded._ There were other things he was supposed to be thinking about right now. “Particularly nice?”

“You know how when an omega goes into heat they release a different pheromone than usual?” Zack tried to explain, waiting for Cloud to nod in understanding. “It’s kinda like that. Like you’re releasing a special pheromone right now."

"But I'm not in heat."

"Yeah, but you just presented recently. You smell..."

He tried not to look incredulous. "Fresh?"

"For lack of a better word? Yeah," Zack confirmed with a half-hearted shrug. Cloud just stared up at him, silently prompting the alpha to elaborate. "You're gonna smell that way till you're knotted for the first time. It's like an off switch for all the extra pheromones. You'll still smell nice, but not like this."

“So I’m…”

“Basically broadcasting that you’re sexually mature and untouched.”

“Why didn’t you say so? You could’ve just…you know. Taken care of that. Days ago.”

Zack’s eyes darkened, a familiar lusty haze filling them. “You think I don’t want to? That I haven’t been thinking about it constantly?”

“If you were thinking about it, why didn’t you just do it? I would’ve let you.”

“Because you were sick. And then you were…cute, you know? Enjoying all the little things. I was having fun watching you light up when we held hands. I don’t want to rush this just because other people suck.”

“Do I really smell any different than any other omega?” he asked, still more than a little skeptical.

“Yeah.”

“You’re sure it’s not just you? I mean, of course you think I smell extra nice, you love me,” Cloud rationalized.

It just didn’t make sense.

Sure, an unbonded omega would smell different from a bonded omega, but this? He’d never heard about whatever pheromone Zack was talking about. There was no biological purpose for it, as far as he could tell. Knotting a partner was different than bonding them—an omega could be knotted by an endless number of alphas without being bonded to any of them. Maybe most pairs chose to do bond  _while_ knotted, but it wasn’t an actual a requirement.

A bond only occurred when an alpha bit down on the most sensitive part of an omega’s neck—a couple inches above the collarbone where their primary hormone gland was located. It was also called a mating mark. Once an alpha broke skin there, that was it—it was like a chemical reaction, hormones mingling and scents interchanging irrevocably. They would each still be distinctly alpha and omega, but also distinctly bound to one another, unable to do so with anyone else.

But none of that had nothing to do with who first knotted an omega.

“I wouldn’t make something like this up,” Zack told him firmly, clearly sensing the omega’s confusion. “It's not super common. You’ve gotta remember most omegas don’t know what they are ahead of time, and they don’t know when they’ll find out. What do you think happens?” The alpha paused waiting a moment for Cloud to think it over. He had a good guess, but chose to shrug. “They don’t have suppressants, so they hook up with an alpha during their first heat. That’s not how it went for you, and it’s obvious.  _Really_ obvious.”

“Okay, but so what? Why's it a big deal?"

"Think of it like...if a heat is your body's way of telling alphas you want to breed, this is your body telling alphas you're ready to find a mate. Even if you're not."

Cloud cringed a little, even as his stomach flopped in the most peculiar way. Something about the word  _breed_ had always put him off—thankfully most male omegas (himself included) couldn't actually get pregnant, even if they did still experience all the same urges as other omegas during heats. That was a subject for another day though.

He steeled his resolve, focusing in on the pressing issue. "If it's about mating, wouldn't it not go away until I'm bonded?"

"Nah. I mean, you'll smell different when we're bonded for sure, but this?" Zack said, pointing at him as if his pheromones were a visible feature, "I think it technically has more to do with your body adjusting, and getting knotted for the first time neutralizing the excess pheromones you're giving off, you know? I'm not really an expert though. All I know for sure is that most alphas won't stop to think technically when they smell you. They'll just know it means no one else has knotted you yet."

It was too nearly too much to process. "Oh."

"It used to be whoever first knotted an omega was supposed to be the one to bond them—people thought that was why the scent was there in the first place. Like a sign of purity, you know? There were courting rituals and all that. Pretty narrow minded stuff,” the alpha explained, his words soft even as he shook his head disdainfully. There were still courting rituals back in Nibelheim, so that part of Zack's story wasn't so farfetched. “Things are mostly different now, at least around here. You're not expected to bond for life just because you spend a heat together or wanted to have some fun. But none of that changes the scent you’re giving off right now."

His heart sank as Zack's words sunk in, making a bit too much sense now. “But…”

“But,” Zack repeated, his voice somehow sounding smaller than usual. “Just because I don’t have a virgin kink doesn’t mean every alpha out there feels the same. I’m worried about you going out there alone right now. If someone catches your scent, they might not be willing to walk away without trying something.”

“…Trying something?”

Zack’s stare hardened. “They’ll probably try to get you to let them take care of your problem.”

“It’s not a problem, and I can handle it,” Cloud decided, annoyed by the prospect of it. “I’ll tell them I’m not interested.”

“I know it’s not a problem,” the alpha amended apologetically. “I just meant they might see it that way, and they might wanna offer you a solution. Gaia, there're probably some alpha’s who’d wanna bond you on the spot.”

“And I’ll tell them I’m not interested."

Zack growled, low and frustrated—but not  _at_ Cloud. Just at the situation. “I don’t want a buncha other alphas thinking they can compete over you, or trying to force you to—”

“You really think I’m going to camp out in your apartment just because someone  _might_ hit on me today if I leave? People’ve made moves on me before—it’s not that big of a deal.”

“Can’t you just try to see it from my perspective?” Zack tried, almost a plea. “Things are different now. Just because you tell them no doesn’t mean they’ll back off. You know how alphas are.”

Cloud shot him a meaningful look. “Persistent.”

“You think  _this_  is persistent?” Zack chuckled, looking genuinely surprised. “I’m just trying to keep you safe, Spike. Alphas don’t always take rejection well.”

“I can take care of myself—or did all the pheromones mess with your memory?  _You_  were the one who taught me how to fight.”

“I know exactly what you’re capable of, and I think you’re amazing. That doesn’t mean you should put yourself in a bad situation though, not when you can avoid it. I mean, a patrol? Who knows what kinda people you might run into, or how many?”

He stared at his boyfriend helplessly, not sure what to say. Maybe Zack had a point, but he couldn’t just put his life on hold. How many times had he promised himself that he wouldn’t change just because he was an omega? Hiding out in an apartment definitely counted as changing. That couldn't happen.

“…Let’s just do it now.”

It was Zack’s turn to gawk at him. “You really think I’m gonna jump on you just to make myself feel better about you leaving?”

“Just because I wasn’t sure about hopping into bed during my heat doesn’t mean I’m trying to hang onto my virginity. It’s really not a big deal to me.” He let out a long sigh at the concerned look he was receiving. “I’m serious. We both know it’s going to happen soon anyway. I’ve seen how you’ve been looking at me, and it’s not like I’m not thinking about it all the time too.”

Zack raised an interested brow. “You are?”

“Ever since…”

“Your heat,” the alpha prompted gently, offering an encouraging nod for Cloud to continue.

“Yeah. Before the suppressants kicked in, everything felt so  _intense._ I can’t stop thinking about how good it would’ve felt if we’d just…”

He trailed off, not because it was embarrassing, but because he was at a loss for words. There was just no good way to describe it—how consuming the feeling had been, and how desperate his thoughts had become. The memories alone made him hot and hazy, and his next heat wouldn’t be for a few  _months._

“I fucked up,” Zack said, drawing him back to the present. “We wouldn't be in such a shitty situation if I hadn't made you take those pills.”

“You didn’t  _make_ me do anything. And you know, it kinda sucked being sick, but I’m glad it turned out that way. You did the right thing, and now I know. You were right about the suppressants, and you were right about me not understanding everything until I felt it. I wasn’t out of control—I just knew what I wanted, and I mean...I  _really_ wanted it. But it wasn’t as mindless as I thought it’d be. It was more than that.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean if I hadn’t been with you, I don’t think I would’ve been begging like that. I felt safe with you.”

Zack was practically beaming at those words. “Well, I’m glad you got something good from it at least.”

“Me too. But since we’re kinda on the same page about it not being such a big deal…” He shifted where he stood, staring pointedly while Zack stared right back. “Maybe you can help me with my problem before either of us has to leave.”

“Damnit, Cloud. Stop doing that.”

“Doing what?”

Zack just gestured at him like it was obvious. “The way you’re standing—the way you’re tilting your head. The way you’re  _looking_ at me.”

“Um…what?”

“How am I supposed to do the right thing and say no when you’re doing that?”

“I’m literally not doing anything, and I don’t _want_ you to say no. Not unless you actually don’t want me.”

“Of course I want you,” Zack said fiercely, stepping forward with purpose.

He didn't even have time to be startled, the alphas lips already pressed firmly to his own. The scarf fell from his hands as he clutched at Zack’s sweater, steadying himself as Zack's hands moved swiftly from cupping his face to pulling him in closer by the hips. Once they settled there, that was it. He melted into the kiss, stifling a moan when the alpha tightened his hold possessively.

This wasn’t exactly their first kiss since Cloud’s short lived heat, but it only took half a second to realize it may as well have been. After he’d felt better, they’d shared more than a few, exploring each other bit by bit and day by day. Always gentle, always quick, and always initiated by Cloud.

There were so many moments in the last few days when they'd been joking around or relaxing, and he'd caught Zack eyeing for just a moment too long. Every time he’d hold his breath, wanting to pause the moment so it would last—hoping Zack would make his move instead of carrying on with whatever. It never happened though. No matter how much desire was built up in the alpha’s eyes, the most he gave Cloud was a wink.

This was different. Drastically so.

Whatever restraint Zack had been exercising was apparently gone, snapped by Cloud’s insistent words. His tongue slid into Cloud’s mouth with a practiced ease, so naturally it felt like they’d been kissing each other like this for years. The soft, aggressive pressure of Zack’s lips was maddening, and his  _hands…_ they weren't just on Cloud's hips anymore. They were everywhere, running over his body without refrain, gripping him all over with just the right amount of pressure. When they finally landed on his ass, Cloud whimpered, rutting filthily against the leg that had somehow slipped between his own.

And that was when Zack stepped back, pulling a whine from the omega as he did so.

“Zack,” Cloud breathed, disappointed and confused.

The alpha held his gaze like it belonged to him, eyes smoldering. “Hm?”

“Why’d you stop?”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said, all nonchalance despite the obvious heat in his gaze, “Did you want me to keep going?”

“ _Yes,”_ the blond hissed, grasping another fistful of SOLDIER sweater and giving it a quick tug. Zack didn’t budge even an inch. “You said you wanted me. What—”

“Aren’t you gonna tell me you want me, too?” Zack responded, his husky voice causing the omega to tremble.

His heart was still pounding, lips swollen and cock throbbing as Zack’s stare bore down on him. And _fuck_ , when did he start to enjoy being so short? It was inexplicably arousing to have Zack towering over him, still within arm’s reach but nowhere near close enough. His impatience grew at the same rate as the tension, still too disheveled to really understand what was happening.

“I already told you I want you.”

“I kinda like it when you’re more specific.”

“When I’m telling you how much I need you?” Cloud realized slowly. Zack was smirking,  _nodding_ with silent expectation. Such an alpha. Something about the request sent a jolt of pleasure right to his groin though. It wasn’t like he’d forgotten how shamelessly he’d begged Zack for more during his heat. Two could play at this game. “I  _need_  you, alpha.”

Zack hummed thoughtfully, leaning in just enough to trail a few kisses up Cloud’s neck. “You do?” He answered by rolling his head back, granting the alpha better access. “What do you need from me? Another kiss?” he whispered, his kisses moving along the blond's jawline, inching closer and closer yet to where Cloud wanted them to be.

“ _Yes.”_

Zack’s lips grazed his again at the word, delicately this time—slow and sweet. “Is that all?”

“More.”

“More…kisses?”

“More  _everything,”_ Cloud demanded, whimpering into Zack’s mouth. “Pick me up.”

Zack pulled back a bit, arching an eyebrow. But he did as Cloud requested, lifting him up like he weighed nothing, making a pleased noise the omega’s legs wrapped around his waist instinctively. Cloud took the opportunity to sling his arms around Zack’s neck, fingers curling into black spikes as he leaned in and took a kiss of his own.

“This is all you had in mind?” the alpha teased, laughing in between the pecks Cloud was stealing.

“Mm, we’re getting there,” Cloud assured him, a few more kisses in between his words. “Take me to your bed.”

“That’s what you need?”

“No, that’s just what I want. What I need is for you to strip me down—touch me all over.”

“Oh yeah?” Zack murmured, his breath hitching.

“Yeah.”

“Then what?”

“I’ll tell you when it’s time,” Cloud responded, laughing at the alpha’s immediate decision to stop asking dumb questions and bring him promptly into the bedroom. It felt like no time had passed at all when he was being deposited onto the large mattress with a playful growl, Zack’s big smile bringing out a matching one on his face. “Did you already forget the part about stripping me down?”

“Hey, who’s the alpha here?” Zack huffed, ripping off Cloud’s shirt in a hurry.

“Being the alpha doesn’t make you the boss.”

“You can be in charge all you want, pretty little omega. That’s why I stopped to ask what you wanted.”

Cloud narrowed his eyes at the new nickname. “Because you know it ends with you popping your knot in me, oh mighty alpha?"

“No spoilers!” Zack complained, making quick work of Cloud’s pants. “You said you wouldn’t tell me till it’s time.”

“Ah, one second,” the blond said, shuffling back when the alpha’s fingers were on the waistband of his boxers. The lighthearted mood froze with Zack, his eyes filled with complete patience as they found Cloud's. “Maybe you should strip first.”

Zack nodded without question, removing his harness with the speed and efficiency only an alpha could manage before tossing his SOLDIER sweater aside. Another moment later and he was out of his slacks, socks kicked off and boxers down. It almost looked like he was more comfortable that way, naked and unashamed as he sought out Cloud's gaze once more.

It was already elsewhere.

They’d been shirtless around each other plenty of times, a natural side effect from Zack helping Cloud with his training over the years…and maybe they’d slept in boxers only most nights Cloud stayed over. It had all been so innocent though—Cloud still unpresented, Zack his goofball best friend. He’d never allowed himself the opportunity to stop and look at Zack’s body with anything other than envy, forcing himself to ignore any of the feelings that had begun to develop.

Nothing was stopping him now and he made no secret of it, eyeing the alpha up and down without hesitation. There was something liberating it...about knowing Zack was his boyfriend—his  _alpha_ —and that everything he was feeling was mutual. And if he was blushing despite being certain that it was okay to look, well, that was just because Zack was so much  _more_ than Cloud had ever imagined. So disarmingly attractive. From the tanned skin, to the rippled muscles, to the flagged erection…The knowing smirk that appeared when Cloud finally met his eyes again didn't help, only seeming to strike the omega down to his very core.

He’d wanted Zack for years now, but never like  _this._

“So, what’s next?” the alpha asked lightly, sitting on the edge of the bed. Cloud had already gotten comfy by the head of the bed, lounging back with his head propped up by a few pillows. All he could do was blink in response, suddenly feeling very overwhelmed. “Cloud?”

Their little game had been fun, but he was way out of his depth now.

“Um…do you think you could maybe take the lead for a few?”

“Yeah,” Zack agreed with a kind smile.

He crawled across the bed, his movements like a predator approaching its prey, but his features revealing nothing but amusement as Cloud watched him intently. That amusement didn’t fade until he was finally hovering over his omega, hungry eyes raking over the lithe body beneath him. One hand kept the alpha propped up as the other trailed over Cloud’s chest appreciatively, the teasing skin on skin contact electric but still not nearly enough.

Their lips connected again, Zack’s bare body grinding down against his so lightly that he found himself arching off the bed for _more._ A hand on his hip prevented him from doing so again, leaving him whimpering every unspoken need into Zack’s mouth. Eventually Zack answered by rolling his hips again, taking Cloud’s lower lip between his teeth before pulling back just enough to look Cloud over once more.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, is voice lower and rougher than Cloud had ever heard.

That didn't stop him from scowling, the compliment making him flustered and tense at the same time. “ _Zack.”_

“I’m serious!” he insisted, his hand moving across one of the blond’s rosy cheeks. “You’re perfect.”

“I already agreed to do this,” he grumbled. “You don’t need to sweet talk me.”

“What’re you so embarrassed about?” Zack asked, so serious as he stared down. The omega just shook his head in response. “Talk to me. It’s okay if you’re changing your mind, or—”

“No, that’s not it! I’m definitely ready.”

“Then why are you looking at me like you’re not so sure anymore?”

“I’m just looking at you—not like I’m not sure,” he tried to explain.

Alphas were usually able to pick up on an omega's mood...but  _Zack_ was always able to pick up on Cloud's. He stared down patiently, like he wasn't naked or aroused—like all that mattered was figuring out what was going on in the blond's head. “Okay?”

“You’re so...” He reached up, placing a tentative hand on Zack’s bare chest. His steady heartbeat was undeniably reassuring. “I guess it just hit me that this is it for me. I always thought I’d have a last minute growth spurt before presenting. I thought maybe I could be more like..."

Zack laughed softly, shaking his head. “You still don’t get it.”

“Get what?”

“What you do to me. I thought I'd made it pretty obvious by now—I don’t want you to be like me or anyone else. You’re already everything I could ever want.”

“Because you’re into pretty little omegas?”

“I’m into  _you_ ,”Zack corrected, nipping at Cloud’s neck. “Every time I see you I have to fight every instinct in my body. I just wanna mark you and  _claim_ you, and make you mine in every possible way. It’s even worse now that you smell so good.” He began to kiss the spot he had nipped, eliciting a soft moan from the omega beneath him. “Never wanted anything so bad.”

_Mark me,_ his own instincts were screaming—begging him to tell Zack to stop holding back.

The words never made it past his lips though, Zack capturing them in another kiss before continuing, “There’s nothing wrong with being pretty, or little, or omega. You can’t forget you’re so much more than that though. Wouldn’t want you this bad if you weren’t the same dork I fell for all those months ago.”

He narrowed his eyes, but couldn’t hide the smirk tugging at the side of his mouth. “You say it like you’re not a massive dork too.”

“I know I am. That’s the point I was getting to—alpha, omega, it doesn’t matter.”

Stubbornly, he was tempted to disagree. But he couldn’t—not when his heart was pounding like this. Not when he realized Zack was right. “…I guess being an omega isn’t so bad as long as I get you.”

“I’m yours,” Zack promised, latching back onto the bruise he’d kissed into Cloud’s neck.

It might not be the mark his inner omega had been screaming for, but it still had him writhing again. Most of the urgency had faded during their conversation, but it didn’t take long for it to start coming back in waves—especially as the alpha moved lower, trailing kisses down to Cloud’s collarbone. His wild hair was ghosting over the omega’s cheek, and Cloud couldn’t help burying a hand in it as his cock reawakened. This time Zack didn’t try to stop the omega when he arched up for more contact, rolling his own hips down hard enough for both of them to moan before doing it _again_ for good measure.

Why had he gotten shy earlier? He was cursing himself now, frustrated with the layer of cloth between their aching erections. Zack didn’t give him much time to dwell on it, his kisses moving down to Cloud’s chest almost reverently. He squirmed involuntarily as the alpha’s hands grazed his sides on his way down, the gleam in Zack’s eyes telling him that the alpha remembered all too well that was one of Cloud’s most ticklish spots.

Normally he might’ve commented or retaliated, but he was helpless against Zack’s deliberate touches—the best he could manage was a soft moan with every kiss, too aware that each one was placed a little lower on his body.

“The noises you make…” He felt a puff of warm breath on his stomach as Zack paused, watching him with hooded eyes. “Could listen to you all day, babe.”

His heart jumped at that particular nickname, remembering too clearly the last time he’d heard it—during his heat. A flood of pure _need_ accompanied the memory, not as potent as it had been that day, but enough that he barely registered the fact that the strangled whine he’d just heard was one _he’d_ made.

_“Fuck,”_ Zack cursed, setting right back to work with clear intent.

His relentless assault of touches and kisses continued, more quickly as they drew nearer and nearer. His mouth hovered two kisses below Cloud’s bellybutton, eyes flickering up to the omega’s face—the silent question growing more pressing when Zack’s fingers danced along the skin just above the waistband of his boxers.

He just nodded, heart racing anxiously as Zack pulled them away without further delay. Again the alpha left him with no time to think—no time to get nervous or embarrassed. His world seemed to shrink down to just _Zack_ as a firm hand wrapped around his cock, too caught up in how good it felt to care about much else. He hissed at the touch, hips bucking involuntarily as Zack began to stroke him slowly.

“Don’t hold back,” Zack encouraged—or commanded maybe. Cloud wasn’t sure, but it already felt like he didn’t have a choice in the matter, whimpering again as he felt Zack’s hot breath against his cock. “That’s it, babe. Tell me what you need.”

“I can’t,” Cloud managed, almost breathless as his head rolled back.

It felt like they’d been building up to this for _days,_ every stolen glance and innuendo some kind of drawn out foreplay. Now that they’d finally gotten this far, he was approaching the edge far too rapidly. This was amazing, but not how he’d imagined it going.

“ _Zack,”_ he begged, only to find the alpha looking at him like he was ready to devour him. It would’ve been alarming on anyone else, but the sight of _Zack_ like that sent a new thrill through his body, mixing with the pleasure each stroke brought. “I can’t—”

“I told you not to hold back.”

“Not gonna last.”

“It’s okay, babe,” Zack urged, his pace quickening _just_ enough to get Cloud to cry out wordlessly. “I wanna see you let go.”

“Z-Zack, stop!” he whined, too far gone to be embarrassed. “I want _you.”_

That earned him a growl of approval, but it did nothing to slow Zack’s pace. “You’re gonna have me,” he promised, licking a strip up the underside of Cloud’s weeping cock. After a few scattered, open-mouthed kisses along the same path, his tongue swirled around the tip, watching Cloud’s every twitch as he took the blond into his mouth.

“That’s not—” _what I meant…_

Another throaty moan came out instead, the wet heat of Zack’s mouth unlike anything he’d ever experienced. His hands shakily found their way into Zack’s hair, but they froze there, uncertain whether or not he wanted Zack to stop or continue. He desperately wanted _more,_ but he was already a panting, trembling mess—the idea of waiting _now_ was nearly painful.

Luckily for him, Zack had already made the decision for the both of them, eyes narrow with concentration as he began to bob up and down with an obvious goal in mind. There was nothing gentle or teasing about it anymore, from the hand around the base of his cock to the intense suction as Zack worked his way up just to swallow him back down repeatedly.

He pulled off just enough to tell Cloud again, “Don’t hold back.” And then it was too much. Zack’s mouth was back around his length, snapping the tension that had coiled inside him before he could even offer any real warning. Cloud shuddered as Zack milked the orgasm right out of him, the alpha letting out a moan of his own as he swallowed eagerly.

“Fuck…” It seemed fitting that it was Cloud’s turn to curse. He draped an arm over his eyes as Zack pulled off with a satisfied hum, slightly embarrassed as he started to come down from the high he was surfing. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I knew what was coming.”

He peaked out from beneath his arm just to roll his eyes at the bad pun. “Not just for that. You were supposed to knot me. I mean, you still can, I’m sure—”

The alpha nodded toward the clock, eyes filled with apology. “We’re outta time, babe.”

“What?” Cloud blinked, looking over to check for himself. How much time had he wasted on all those nagging thoughts? “Oh, shit…”

“I’d rather stay here all day,” Zack said, kissing his way back up the omega’s body in a fraction of the time he’d spent working his way down. He rolled to the side after grazing Cloud’s lips, then nestled into his neck with a sigh of contentment. “I think Seph’ll actually show up if I bail though.”

Cloud snorted at that, remembering the last phone call Zack had with the elite SOLDIER.

The scheduler hadn’t succeeded in telling Zack no, he couldn’t have time off, so Sephiroth had been asked to deal with it. Zack took to telling Sephiroth the same thing—that he wasn’t going on missions until he was sure _his_ omega was okay, even mentioning that bit about how not even Sephiroth could ‘drag him’ away.

It had been incredibly sexy to listen to Zack speak so assertively, and his intense posture as he spoke had been so  _alpha…_ he was almost unrecognizable for a minute until he caught Cloud staring—then he broke out into one of his trademark grins.

Thankfully Sephiroth had found Zack’s insistence reasonable under the circumstances, granting him a set number of days off—but not before warning he would personally show up to ‘test that theory’ if Zack attempted to get out of one more mission.

“Will you wait here for me?” Zack asked, still buried in Cloud’s neck. “Just one more night?”

“…Zack,” he groaned. The kisses on his neck were giving the alpha an unfair advantage, making it impossible to think clearly. “Fine! But I’m going back to work tomorrow no matter what you say.”

“Deal! I’ll kick some ass and get back as soon as I can.”

“Are you sure you don’t have any time?” Cloud asked, a bit guilty as he felt Zack’s still-hard cock rubbing against his hip. There was no way it didn’t hurt by this point. He reached down tentatively, only to have the alpha’s hand catch his midway. “We can—”

“It’s okay. This was about you, not me. I don’t really wanna fuck you and run, you know?”

He was about to offer to do something else, but Zack just shook his head gently.

It was kind of strange. Not that Zack didn't want to go further, but that he'd bothered playing along in the first place—getting naked when he must've already decided it wasn’t going to happen, that he didn't want to have sex when he had to leave shortly after.

Before he could ask though, lips were on his, and he was feeling nothing but content. "Just wanted you to be comfortable," Zack murmured against them, answering the silent question in the air. "Always want you to feel good."

Cloud was lost in another kiss, otherwise he would've told the alpha that  _good_ was an understatement. He felt warm, inside and out—happy and relaxed, only regretting that he'd been able to make Zack feel the same way.

“Tonight then?” he asked, hope-filled eyes meeting Zack's as they parted.

“You think I’ll be able to keep my hands off you now that I’ve had a taste?” Zack countered, grinning when the color returned to Cloud's shocked face. “You’re so damn cute.”

“Go kill some stuff,” Cloud grumbled, pushing his boyfriend playfully away. He wasn’t expecting Zack to  _let_ him, rolling right out of bed with an exaggerated  _ow_ as he hit the ground. “Very funny.”

Zack winked after hopping to his feet. “I thought so.”

“Get dressed before I try to talk  _you_ out of leaving.”

The want in Zack’s eyes was so obvious, roaming wistfully over Cloud’s naked body. “Just say the word and I’ll tell Seph to try his best. He won’t be able to pull me away from you.”

“Uh. I was joking. I’d rather him not show up here while I’m naked in your bed.”

Zack apparently missed the joke again, frowning. “You don’t need to worry about that, I wouldn’t let anyone else see you like this.”

“I know,” Cloud said, opting to just indulge his goofball boyfriend’s random alpha quirks this time. He moved over to the edge of the bed, a smile curling the corner of his mouth as Zack leaned down to kiss him. “You really should get dressed before you’re late.”

The alpha looked him over again. “You’ll stay here?”

“Yeah.”

“With the door locked?”

Cloud tried not to roll his eyes, but only because Zack's tone was half-teasing rather than paranoid. “Okay.”

“And you won’t open it for anyone other than me?”

“Zack!”

“I’m serious! You’re like this amazing scent factory right now. Even with this whole place smelling like me, it’s obvious you’re here. Raid my fridge—don’t order food.”

“Yes,  _alpha,”_ Cloud said, his words laced with sarcasm.

Zack looked a bit guilty at that, cradling the omega’s face gently. “I’m sorry. I know you don’t like being told what to do.”

“I trust you about this,” he responded with a tiny smile. “Don't make a habit of it though. I didn't sign up to be a stay at home omega."

“I know. I love that about you," Zack reminded him adamantly. "It's just hard right now."

"It won't be for much longer."

"Right," the alpha agreed, his kind smile returning. "Tonight."

Cloud just nodded, trying not to look too eager. It’d be a little excessive to admit just how much he was looking forward to it, especially considering how little he’d thought about sex until very recently. It just wasn't something people did before presenting—the risks too high, the impulses too low. The only time it had ever seriously crossed his mind were those few days leading up to his heat, and those were mostly curious thoughts. Now? Well, his thoughts were  _very_ specific. He couldn't help feeling a little unclaimed, which was ridiculous when he and Zack were obviously in a relationship. They were very much together, whether or not they’d been connected the way his body was demanding.

“You better hurry and go,” Cloud said, realizing Zack was just standing there with a dorky smile still. “You're really about to be late."

“Yeah. Good plan,” Zack agreed, making haste to get back into his uniform. Cloud helped him with his harness, suddenly feeling a little under-dressed. Before he could even think about retrieving his clothes though, he was catching a t-shirt and pajama pants. “Mine.”

Maybe Zack was referring to the clothes he’d tossed at Cloud, or maybe he was referring to Cloud himself—either way it made him stupidly happy as he put them on.

* * *

 

He should’ve let Zack fuck him through his heat.

That was the only conclusion Cloud could reach after spending the day alone in his boyfriend’s apartment, cycling through a variety of thoughts and tasks. He’d gone from eating to gaming to cleaning…he’d even started browsing the internet for potential jobs at before deciding to run a search about pheromones.

It turned out Zack was basically right about whatever scent he was giving off right now, and that it wasn’t just omegas. Alphas did something similar after presenting, giving off a unique scent indicator until they’d popped their first knot. Apparently it was also the reason behind a few of his own issues—why he was feeling a bit sex-crazed, why he felt unclaimed, why he already missed Zack more than he ever had before.

There was so much information out there, things he’d never thought to question. He actually would’ve been happy to spend the rest of the day researching, but he kept hitting a major (and somewhat related) snag.

Staying in Zack’s apartment made it too difficult to focus for long periods of time because _everything_ smelled like his alpha.

He hadn’t noticed it quite as much while Zack had been present, too caught up in the man himself. His absence was downright distracting though, and there was no stopping it. Being surrounded by his scent was incredibly comforting, but it also left him yearning for the real thing more than anything. Every time he tried to get into a task, the smell would wash over him all over again until it was all he could think about.

And so the cycle basically repeated itself, even throwing in a second shower at one point.

SOLDIER missions were no joke, so it wasn’t a huge surprise when it started getting late and Zack hadn’t returned. When it came down to it, he didn’t _actually_ want Zack to rush back—he wanted the mission to go well even if he missed his boyfriend. That didn’t stop him from sulking when he resigned himself to bed, curled up alone in a bundle of Zack’s blankets.

His last thought before succumbing to the drowsiness was one of acceptance, sure nothing would be happening that night. Between being an impossibly heavy sleeper, and Zack probably being worn out after such a long mission…anything else was just wishful thinking.

At some point a dip in the bed stirred him, but he was too out of it to try to figure out what time it was or how much time had elapsed. There was no doubt in his mind as to who it was, Zack’s warm presence so prominent to the omega—he didn’t even open his eyes, instead just making a pleased noise when Zack curled up loosely behind him.

“I could get used to coming home to this,” the alpha whispered, kissing the back of his neck.

“Wouldn’t,” Cloud warned, too tired to say much more. That didn’t stop him from pushing back comfortably until he couldn’t get any closer though. Zack seemed to take the hint, his arms holding Cloud against him more securely. “Working tomorrow.”

“We’ll talk about it in the morning,” Zack muttered, his tone indecipherable.

“Mission good?”

“Yeah, just took longer than I expected. I’m sorry.”

“’s okay.”

“Let’s get some sleep, yeah?”

Cloud hummed in agreement, already halfway back to doing just that.

* * *

Zack hadn’t put up a fight when Cloud left next day, only holding the blond up to give him one last kiss on his way out the door—apparently content with all the scenting he’d done that morning. Since Zack was back to work as well, he'd been stuck complying with his training schedule (plus he had a mission report to file), so he hadn't even been able to walk Cloud to his CO's office to report back in from ‘special duty’. Not that Cloud needed a chaperone. He hadn’t bothered to question the lack of resistance, not wanting to encourage any alpha craziness.

But that didn't mean he wasn't curious.

After being so set on Cloud staying the previous day, so adamant about his safety…to just let him go without question? They definitely hadn’t taken the next step in their relationship, so he couldn’t quite understand what had changed over night.

Until he got to his post. Then it made a lot more sense.

_Your friend isn’t as sneaky as he thinks,_ Cloud sent, hoping the text conveyed how furious he was.

He was on his way back to Zack’s apartment, and he was positive Kunsel was the person who’d been trailing ‘discreetly’ behind him since he left that morning. The SOLDIER was a beta, so Cloud couldn’t exactly smell him or anything, but when he spotted a helmeted SOLDIER at one point that afternoon…it just clicked _._ They’d met on more than one occasion, and Zack had joked often enough about how Kunsel was like SOLDIER’s own private detective.

Apparently he wasn’t as good as everyone believed, unless he  _wanted_ Cloud to know he was being followed.

“I don’t need a baby sitter,” Cloud grumbled as he got into the elevator, sure the SOLDIER heard him even from across the lobby.

Normally he wasn’t a big fan of elevators, but it was a massive relief when the door closed and he finally had a moment alone. He used the access keycard Zack had given him to get to his boyfriend’s floor, ignoring the few SOLDIERs he passed in the hall before opening Zack’s door with a purpose.

“Seriously?” Cloud asked, getting right to it with a glare.

Zack was already on his feet and headed toward the door, but Cloud’s expression had him frozen in his tracks. “It was the best plan I could come up with on a short notice.”

“And you didn’t even think to  _warn_ me?” he pressed, hands on his hips. “I spent half the day thinking some creepy alpha was lurking around before I figured it out!”

Zack grimaced, running a hand through his hair. “I didn’t think about that.”

“Obviously not,” he scoffed. “I don’t need you or anyone else watching over me.”

“Cloud, please,” Zack tried, taking a tentative step closer. “Just for a few days?”

“There’s no point. I got taken off my patrols,” Cloud admitted with a ragged sigh.

“What do you mean? Did something happen?”

“Uh, I became an omega,” the blond replied, a bit more harshly than intended. Sure, he was still irritated, but this part wasn’t Zack’s fault—the alpha looked like a wounded puppy already. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down before explaining, “It’s a thing, I guess. Omegas in the infantry get put on limited duty.”

“What’s limited duty?”

“A desk job in a room with other omegas. Mostly working phones, sending patrols to specific locations if there’s an incident reported. It’s boring as fuck, and completely ridiculous. You’d think the military would’ve caught up with all the omega rights laws by now.”

Zack frowned deeply. “…I had no idea they’d do that.”

Because it was  _classified,_ apparently _._  Alphas weren’t supposed to know about omega-only posts, for ‘safety reasons’. It made him wonder about what else neither of them knew about…but at the same time, he really didn’t want to know. There were dozens of specialized posts—it seemed likely some were alpha only, and that pissed him off too.

“You don’t need to act like you’re not relieved,” Cloud muttered, finally giving his boyfriend the go ahead to pull him into a tight hug. It was basically Zack’s not-so-secret talent—he gave the _best_ hugs. Something about being in his arms always made the blond feel warm and secure, even more so now that he was an omega. The stress had already begun to melt away before he’d even wrapped his arms around Zack in return. “I’m so glad I’m getting out. These next few weeks are gonna suck.”

“It won’t be so bad. You didn’t even  _like_ patrols.”

“Doesn’t mean I like being told I can’t do them. I mean, what’s the point in all my training if I’m locked in some room? It’s not like I wasn’t keeping up with the alphas before I presented.”

“I’m sorry,” Zack told him, his words sounding genuine. “You’re right, it’s not fair. You’ve already proven how awesome you are—they should’ve given you a choice.”

“I should get a choice about being followed around by your friends, too.”

“Friend—just one,” the alpha clarified, looking down apologetically. “I just…”

“I know,” Cloud relented with a frown. “It’s fine, I understand.”

“It’s not. I should’ve ran it by you at least.”

“I knew something was up when you let me leave so easily this morning.”

“I wanted to ask you to stay, but I didn’t think it’d go over well,” Zack admitted sheepishly.

“You were right about that. I would’ve said no about Kunsel, too.”

“I just didn’t know what else to do. I thought about it all day, you know. Yesterday, too—that’s why my mission took so long. I wanted to rush it, but I couldn’t focus.”

“I don’t like that you’re  _this_ worried,” Cloud said firmly. “I need you to have a little faith in me.”

“I have more than a little faith in you,” Zack assured him with a smile. “It’s everyone else I’m not so sure about.”

Cloud crossed his arms, not totally satisfied with that answer. This was one of those line drawing moments, and he had to make sure they were on the same page. “No more baby sitters, and no more trying to talk me into staying home. If you’re that worried about how I smell, do something about it—otherwise you need to just trust that I can take care of myself.”

“Okay. You’re right,” Zack agreed with a single nod. “I shoulda known better, it’s just hard to think straight lately. Honestly, it almost feels like  _I’m_ the one who just presented, and I’m stuck trying to figure out how to keep it all in check. Except it’s harder this time around. I knew what to expect during your heat, but all this? It's new to me.”

“Yeah, well, I actually _did_ just present, so I get that—I’m trying to figure things out too. A lot’s happening really fast.”

“Yeah, it is. I’ve never really felt like much of an alpha before, you know? I’ve never wanted to bond or do anything serious, but with you, everything feels so different—I want it all.”

“You want to bond me?” Cloud asked, trying to look as casual as possible despite his heart soaring at the prospect.

The subject had come up in passing, mostly implied in conversation—but this was the first time Zack had mentioned it so specifically. It was a little sudden to be discussing something so permanent, but there was no doubt he liked the idea of it. He liked the idea of  _everything_  with Zack. There was just something magnetic about him—even after being annoyed with him for half the day, all he wanted to do was curl up in his arms and never let go.

“Yeah, I do. I know it’s too soon for that though,” Zack added quickly. “I already feel like we’re rushing, and I don’t like it. I wanna set our own pace from now on. Do things _our_ way like we always have.”

“…Does that mean you’re not planning to knot me tonight?”

Zack studied his face carefully before nodding. “Yeah, actually. Not that I don’t want to, but I thought about it more, and I still don’t feel right just doing it because your scent.”

“That wouldn’t be the only reason. We both want it to happen.”

“Yeah, but don’t you feel like it’s become a  _thin_ g _?_ It’s like there’s this pressure to just get it over with, and I don’t want it to be that way. I’d feel better if we waited a little longer.”

Cloud nodded, a little disappointed, but not so much that he couldn’t see Zack’s point. As much as he wanted it, he preferred to believe they were more than their instincts. “Until when?”

Zack shrugged easily. “Until whenever we feel like it. No set timeframe.”

“And if I feel like it right now?”

“Uh, you just came home pissed at me for being an asshole. I’m pretty sure now’s not the right time.”

Cloud couldn’t suppress a smile. “You may have a point.”

“Let’s go out to eat or something. I wanna take you on a date and apologize properly.”

“Think we can stay here instead? I’m really drained right now. Kinda weird considering I sat around all day.”

“Yeah, but you put up with a lot of shit today—that’s mentally exhausting. I’ll make us dinner.”

Cloud nodded at that, falling back into Zack’s arms with a relieved sigh. “You’re really going to be okay waiting? Because I’m serious, I don’t want anyone following me around tomorrow.”

“I promise, I’ll let you do your own thing from now on. I don’t like being on your bad side.”

He laughed a little, feeling pretty much the same. Being annoyed with Zack was an impossible task. It was all very foreign—they'd never really argued or bickered about anything serious before. As understandable as it was, he was ready for both of them to get past the adjustment period to all this omega stuff.

“Did Kunsel already tell you what happened this morning?” he asked slowly, almost dreading the answer when he felt Zack’s arms stiffen around him.

He could feel a slight rumble from the alpha’s chest before Zack responded, “Yeah, he sent me a message.”

It hadn’t been a big deal.  _One_ alpha had approached Cloud on his walk in, and maybe a polite ‘not interested’ hadn’t been enough to deter him. But a stern ‘back off’ had been, no intervention from Kunsel necessary. That was before he’d even realized he was being followed, and even then he hadn’t felt unsafe or anything. Just mildly annoyed.

“And you’re still okay with it?”

“Yeah. I don’t like it, but it sounds like you had it under control, just like you’ve been saying.”

“I did.”

“He didn’t touch you, did he?”

Cloud snorted, looking up at his boyfriend with amusement. “What do you think?”

“I don’t smell any other alphas on you,” Zack responded, leaning down and taking a long breath. He exhaled slowly, warm breath tickling the blond’s neck. “Where’s your scarf?”

“Didn’t need it since I was inside all day.”

“So I wore that thing around for hours for nothing?” Zack pouted, raising a brow as Cloud pulled it from one of his large pockets. The blond rose to the balls of his feet before draping the fabric around his alpha’s neck, using it to tug him down until their lips met gently in the middle.

“I wouldn’t say for  _nothing._  It looks good on you.”

He released it entirely, leaving it around his boyfriend’s neck as he mirrored the goofy smile on Zack's face. The same smile Zack had worn the day they met, and countless times since. As long as that smile never went away, there was no doubt in his mind they'd have this all figured out in no time.


End file.
